‘He’s gone forever’: Mother of child stabbed in Kansas City middle school speaks about loss

KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) --- Two days after a stabbing inside a Kansas City middle school left a student dead and another charged with murder, the victim’s mother is talking about the tragedy.

Vicenta Guzman said her only child, Manuel Guzman, was strong and smart.

“Manny lightened up people’s worlds,” she said. “He didn’t like arguments or negativity. When he was mad, everyone was mad. But when Manny put that smile on, everybody was happy.”

Vicenta Guzman said she received a call from Northeast Middle School on Tuesday after the stabbing happened. She initially thought it was something Manny may have done.

“She said he had been stabbed,” Guzman said. “When I rushed into those doors and I went to that bathroom, I don’t remember who I seen because everything was in slow motion for me. I saw my son laying in the bathroom floor and I saw nothing but blood. He was dead. I know he was.”

Manny’s dream was to become a football player and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was his favorite player.

“He told me, ‘mom, one day I’m going to be a Chiefs player,’” she said.

Since the tragedy, attention has been placed on security at the school. Vicenta Guzman said she shares those same concerns.

“I don’t understand how this is a school of 500 students and they only have two security guards,” she said. “I don’t know how this weapon could get through the metal detectors because they have them.”

She said her son had a conflict with someone at the school and the stabbing happened because of a previous fight a month earlier.

The district made the decision to return to classes at Northeast Middle School, saying they felt it was the best thing for students. They wanted to provide students access to trauma counselors.

They are conducting an investigation in conjunction with the Kansas City Police Department.

KCTV5 also spoke to Kansas City Public Schools Superintendent Mark Bedell on Thursday: